NHL Playoff Matchups Set as Senators Win Season Finale

Kaspars Daugavins of the Boston Bruins and goalie Robin Lehner of the Ottawa Senators watch a shot go just wide of the net during the game on April 28, 2013 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Photographer: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

April 29 (Bloomberg) -- The Ottawa Senators defeated the
Boston Bruins for the first time in five tries this season,
winning 4-2 to clinch the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference
for the National Hockey League playoffs.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s goal with three minutes, 34 seconds
remaining snapped a 2-2 tie and lifted the Senators to the road
win in the final game of the regular season. Ottawa moved ahead
of the New York Islanders for the seventh seed and will face the
Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the Stanley Cup
playoffs, which begin tomorrow.

The Bruins’ loss cost them a chance to be the No. 2 seed in
the East. Boston instead is the fourth seed and faces the fifth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening round.

Also in the East, the Islanders meet the top-seeded
Pittsburgh Penguins and the third-seeded Washington Capitals
play the sixth-seeded New York Rangers.

In the Western Conference, it’s the No. 1 Chicago
Blackhawks against the No. 8 Minnesota Wild, the No. 2 Anaheim
Ducks against the No. 7 Detroit Red Wings, No. 3 Vancouver
Canucks against the No. 6 San Jose Sharks, and the No. 4 St.
Louis Blues against the No. 5 Los Angeles Kings.

The Blackhawks, Ducks and Blues all host games tomorrow to
begin the NHL playoffs. The Islanders visit the Penguins in one
of three series that begin May 1, while the final two series --
including the Rangers against the Capitals -- begin May 2.